The Best Android TV Box To Buy

Want to use a TV Box to make your television even more multimedia and smart? Discover the best Android TV Boxes in the following guide.

Even if all the best TVs have a Smart component with which you can expand your multimedia capabilities, it is still preferable to use a TV Box for some operations, perhaps with an Android operating system.

With a TV Box, you can use almost all the apps you’re used to using on smartphones or Android tablets, with the ability to stream content normally not visible with Smart TV apps.

Which Android TV Box should choose for the living room?

In this guide, I will show you all the features to watch before buying a TV Box with Android operating system, some tips to increase the usability of these devices and ultimately the inev

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ble buying guide with the best models on the market.

Technical features

To choose a TV Box you need to observe some of the features so be sure not to buy an obsolete product.

1) Chipset: The best CPUs and chipsets for a TV Box are branded Amlogic, Intel Atom and Rockchip.

For a compatibility issue, I suggest you focus on Amlogic or Intel models, so you do not have any problems with some media apps or some file formats.

If points on an Amlogic model make sure it is a recent (S9xx), while pointing to an Intel processor make sure it is an X5 or X7 model to support all the files.

2) RAM: 2 GB of RAM is the minimum necessary to run the operating system and all the multimedia apps properly.

More RAM is better the TV Box will behave, so if you see models with 3 or 4 GB you can punch us with closed eyes!

3) Internal Memory: To get all the space you need, I recommend that you only aim at models with at least 32 GB of internal memory so you can install all the apps without worrying about space issues.

4) Connection: To connect to the Internet, the TV Box chosen must have the WiFi module (better if dual-band, so support both 2.4 and 5 GHz) and an Ethernet port to use to connect the cable.

Bluetooth connectivity is also useful to connect headphones or wireless speakers.

5) Connectivity: HDMI output is crucial to connecting the TV Box to modern TVs.

Choose only models with at least 2 USB ports and an audio jack output (3.5mm) to connect external speakers.

There is no need for additional video output, though it is an interesting feature if you have an old monitor or an old TV to connect.

6) Video Resolution: All TV Boxes are compatible with 1080p resolution, but if you want to see 4K video, make sure HDMI output is in version 2.0, otherwise you will not be able to see this kind of content.

7) Other features: A microSD slot will allow you to expand the internal memory of your device, while other smaller Mini DisplayPort features or S / PDIF optical audio output are only useful if you use this type of audio and video system.

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Audio / video formats

A TV Box must be able to read any kind of video without any clicks and play any media file.

For higher quality, you must use hardware acceleration integrated into your device so you do not have to use software codecs (much slower).

A modern Android TV Box must therefore support the following hard-coded codecs or containers …

1) Video: H.264, H.265, MP4, AVI, WMV and MKV

2) Audio: MP3, MP4, AC-3, Ogg Vorbis, AAC, WMA, and Dolby

One of the most demanding features on modern files is HDR support, which, along with 4K, allows you to see high-definition colors and details of ultra-high definition video.

Multimedia App

The apps you can use to make the most of your Android TV Box are as follows …

1) YouTube: Ubiquitous on any TV Box, it lets you see videos saved on the famous sharing site to any quality (even 4K);

2) Netflix: The famous legal streaming site app can be used without any problems on TV Boxes, but for a compatibility issue you cannot use Full HD and 4K (only 480p standard resolution available);

3) Code: The definitive media center for your TV Box, where you can see any content saved in your internal memory or stored on your network via DLNA.

In addition to files on your local or network, you can expand features with extensions so you can access multiple streaming content;

4) Plex: Another great media center app for TV Box lets you view indexed content on another device (PC or NAS) at the highest quality and with all the information already available (subtitles, poster, information, vote etc.);

5) VLC for Android: The popular media app can be used on Android TV Boxes to play any media file;

6) Spotify: Great app for listening to free streaming music without time limits.

These are just some of the apps you can install on a TV Box, but just open the Google Play Store to install any other app that can extend the capabilities of your device.

The Best Android TV Boxes In Market

After seeing some of the features to consider when buying a TV Box, in this section of the guide you will see the best TV Box on the market.

Xiaomi Mi TV Box

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If you appreciate the Xiaomi products or look for a good value TV Box, you can bet on the Mi TV, a small and stylish TV Box with 2GB of RAM, quad-core processor and WiFi dual-band connectivity.

As traditionally for Xiaomi products, the operating system constantly receives updates so that it can be compatible with all kinds of audio or video files, even the latest ones.

Beelink GT1 Ultimate

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A Power Concentrate in a Small Device!

This TV Box boasts 3GB of RAM along with an Amagic S912 octa-core CPU, 32GB of internal memory, Bluetooth 4.0 and Android 7.1, for maximum compatibility with all Android apps!

R-TV BOX S10

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If you are looking for a good TV Box for your living room with a nice design, you can bet on the R-TV Box, accompanied by 3 GB RAM, 32GB of expandable internal memory, WiFi dual band and Code, YouTube and Netflix already embedded in the operating system.

WeTek Play 2

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Want a TV Box with Digital Terrestrial Support and Channel Recording? In this case, you have to bet on the WeTek Play 2, a hybrid multimedia player with Android operating system that combines the functionality of a decoder with those of a classic TV Box.

NVIDIA SHIELD TV Pro

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The best TV Box in circulation is definitely NVIDIA Shield TV, especially in its latest incarnation (Pro version). In addition to having the best of Intel technology, it is certified by Netflix for displaying 4K and HDR content, with all the power needed to run games available on Android.

Both a remote control for controlling multimedia apps (including voice commands) and a wireless game controller are available.